May 14, 2017 11 News & Analysis elections

Spoiled ballots reflect loss of confidence in Algerian regime, politicians

Lamine Ghanmi More than 30 opposition groups and alliances shared the rest with main secular parties, Socialist Forc- Tunis es Front and Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD), winning 14 and lgerian voters jolted the nine seats, respectively. predictable routine of Voters wrote on ballots their the country’s parliamen- grievances about unemployment, tary elections by disfig- corruption and the rigidity of a re- uring ballots or casting gime that has remained fundamen- blankA votes in record numbers, ex- tally the same since the country’s posing discontent with the status independence in 1962. Many also quo amid anxieties over the lead- took issue with the opposition, ership transition from ailing Presi- which they branded as tame and dent . docile, local media reported. Algerian Interior Ministry figures “The elections showed the re- for the May 4 elections indicated gime has ruined its own legiti- that the number of spoiled and macy,” said Algerian political com- blank ballots equalled the com- mentator Saad Okba. “The spoiled Low turnout. Algerian women cast their votes at a polling station in , on May 4. (AFP) bined vote total received by the two ballots have nullified the legitima- ruling parties — the National Libera- cy of the upcoming parliament and tion Front (FLN), led by Bouteflika, the government is to blame for this summated between the population those who manage the country Sociologist Mohamed Taibi from who has rarely been seen in public disaster.” and both politicians and politics.” had come out beyond worse fore- Algiers University said: “Algeria’s since a 2013 stroke, and the Demo- “The government threatened Opposition Jil Jadid (New Gen- casts and the necessity to make opposition is conventional and cratic National Rally, led by Boutef- youth that they would lose all social eration) leader Soufiane Djilali said: painful economic and financial ad- formalistic. It is focused on short- lika’s top aide, Ahmed Ouyahia. benefits from the state if they failed “The massive abstention is a total justments,” said Algerian political term tactics. It has no strategy and A total of 8,624,199 ballots were to vote and the youth spoiled the rejection of the regime.” analyst Rabia Said. the absence of a charismatic oppo- cast with 2,109,917 spoiled or blank ballots to punish the government,” Other politicians slammed the sition leader further deepens the papers, official figures showed. he said. government for the outcome of the A total of 8,624,199 crisis.” The government had hoped for a vote. Far-left Socialist Party chief ballots were cast with Algerian officials shrugged off The elections high turnout to claim a victory af- Louisa Hanoune called the results criticism of the elections and the ter it secured the participation of a “hold-up.” 2,109,917 spoiled or pessimistic conclusions drawn by showed the regime opposition parties from all political Parliament will play a key role blank papers, official analysts about the low participa- has ruined its own hues for the first time in decades. in sustaining Algeria’s social and figures showed. tion, insisting that the country will legitimacy. “The leaders of ruling parties and political stability for the next five remain stable. of this government of misery do years at a time when leadership is They said Algerians enjoy fun- Algerian political ” not understand and care about the searching for a way to manage the “And in politics there is a rule damental rights in a multiparty commentator Saad Okba meaning of legitimacy. That’s why transition from Bouteflika’s 20-year of thumb that had not changed: system with 72 registered political they undertook such actions that rule, if his health permits him to No demands of sacrifices from the groups. The turnout was 35% of eligible severed the core trunk of their le- complete his mandate in 2019. people in times when there is a Algerian Foreign Minister Ram- voters compared to 43% in the 2012 gitimacy,” said Okba. Bouteflika, 80, was wheeled in shortage of legitimacy,” he added. tane Lamamra cited the “peaceful election. “A large majority of Algerians had a chair to vote but was unable to Analysts said there were no po- and fair elections” of May 4 as an The FLN and the Rally together perfectly expressed this view dur- physically cast his ballot; one of his litical challenges to the govern- example of what he called the “sig- won 264 of the 462 parliamentary ing the May 4 polls. For them, the nephews did it for him. He also had ment from organised opposition nificant progress of democracy.” seats. They were trailed by an Is- parliament, like other bodies, does trouble with the fingerprinting af- but feared popular discontent “Democracy in Algeria is neither lamist alliance led by the Muslim not represent their interests and terward. could fuel jihadism decades after a campaign slogan nor a caprice of Brotherhood’s local branch, Move- even less so defend them,” political “The after-vote government will Algeria emerged from a civil war intellectuals. It is rather a day-to- ment for the Society of Peace, with scientist Chadly Benguesmia said. be squeezed between a deficit of that shook the country between day reality experienced by the Al- 33 seats. “That is why the divorce is con- legitimacy as the unpopularity of 1992 and the early 2000s. gerian people,” he said. Parliamentary elections in Algeria where everybody lost, except women

Viewpoint he results of the failure of the Islamist parties. improvement in terms of results The Workers’ Party did no better. parliamentary elec- The reactions to the results of was the National Democratic Rally 139 seats It has won 11 seats this time, a tions in Algeria were the May 4 vote were as expected. (NDR), led by Ahmed Ouyahia, significant drop from the 24 seats quite different from The old parties either played down with 97 seats won, an increase of — 30% — of won in 2012. what the participating the significance of them or 29 from the 2012 elections. The the new All the major political forces in parties, especially the doubted their transparency. NDR represents 21% of the new parliament Algeria have regressed in the TIslamist ones, had expected. Secretary-General of the National parliament. polls, especially the Islamist While the outcome offered Front Djamel Ould Abbas claimed Although still leading the will go to parties. In previous elections, surprises, there had been a clear the elections had only a minor election results with 164 seats, the women. these parties had found a place on conflict discernable on four levels impact on the political scene, National Liberation Front lost 44 the political map thanks in part to Khaled Omar during the campaigns. while Abderrazak Mokri from the seats from the 2012 polls. their alliances with the govern- Ben Guiga First, there was an obvious Islamist Movement of Society for The biggest losers in the 2017 ment. One indirect factor behind generational gap between the old Peace (MSP) and Louisa Hanoune elections were the Islamists. They the overall regression of the major guard from the days of the from the Workers’ Party simply had been confident of a sweeping parties is the participation of Algerian revolution and inde- described the elections as rigged. victory. However, the total small parties, which have been pendence and a younger genera- The truth, however, is not found number of seats mustered by all able each to lay hands on a seat tion not convinced of the prevail- in their explanations. There are the Islamist parties did not exceed here and there. ing traditional political discourse. new realities in Algeria that 67 seats — 14.5% of the parliament The major losers in the 2017 Second, the competing institu- cannot be ignored. seats. This result could hardly be parliamentary polls remain the tions fought a particularly fierce Here are some of them: useful to the Islamists even in case Algerian people. The Algerian Par- campaign relying greatly on social Fifty-seven parties took part in they are joined in a political bloc liament is going to be composed media. the elections but most of the by the independent candidates, mostly of members who have not Third, the conflict between electorate stayed away. This who totalled 28 seats. won the public’s trust. The same political parties and the public. By means that, except for parties that The Islamists entered the goes for the state’s institutions not voting it sent the parties a boycotted the elections, all of the elections represented by two and the government in general, resounding message of disap- others were lumped in the same poles. The first was an alliance led by President Abdelaziz proval. The voter abstention rate camp. There were no opposition between MSP and the Front for Bouteflika. The government was 61% and 10% of the cast votes parties. Change. They represent the simply keeps postponing dealing were annulled. The government’s alarmist Muslim Brotherhood and won 33 with the country’s problems. The fourth aspect of conflict campaign had failed. The authori- seats, a drop of 15 seats from 2012. One positive result in the was, of course, the ruthless ties wanted the public to believe The second Islamist pole was an elections was the rise in the competition between the parties that abstaining or boycotting the alliance between three parties: the number of women elected to the themselves. The elections elections would plunge the Ennahda Movement, the El-Bina parliament: 139 seats — 30% — of revealed the relative political country into chaos. That has not Movement and the Justice and the new parliament will go to importance of each party and happened and the majority of the Development Front. The alliance women, mainly as a result of particularly exposed the utter people showed they no longer won 15 seats. enforcing election laws and trust the state’s institutions, Leftist and socialist parties also observing international stand- especially the parliament. Still, regressed. The oldest opposition ards. the social explosion is coming, no party in Algeria, the Socialist The biggest losers in the 2017 doubt. Forces Front, won 14 seats. In the Khaled Omar Ben Guigua is an elections were the Islamists. The party that made the most 2012 elections, the Front won 27. Algerian writer and journalist.